Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 88 yds with OM 41 Shorty

Finally got my depredation tags for deer & antelope Saturday so I thought I might go hunting yesterday, little did I know it would turn into an all night ordeal. I got there kind of late, saw a few deer as soon as I unloaded the 4 wheeler but they were gone in a hurry, seemed pretty spooky & in this treeless, wide open country they can see you for a long ways.
I wanted to see if the sprinklers were still on the Alfalfa like it was last year so I drove up there first. I spotted one herd of about 10 & they were at least 800-900 yds off, I didn't even range them. Where they were at they were pretty safe from a guy with an iron sighted short barreled six gun. I didn't have much daylight so I started hunting the sagebrush draws (coulees) & the tall weed patches that line some of the bottom ground. This stuff is thick & it's where I almost tipped over last year after shooting a doe in some real thick stuff & then trying to drive through it. I ended up standing my 4 wheeler right on it's nose. I was going really slow but still managed to drop the front end into about a 6 ft drop off. I got high centered or I would have went over for sure.
As I approached this same spot I seen a huge skunk & he was on the fight, he wasn't trying to escape, he was bluffing me & making some kind of a noise & was maybe the largest skunk I've ever seen. Last year when I shot that doe laying in this stuff I flushed a huge skunk out the other side, this might be the very same skunk. Anyway, I turned off the 4 wheeler & drew the 41 & he started making little hops towards me & making that funny sound, he was really on the fight. At about 12-15 yds I gave him a 213 gr HP right in the face, that calmed him down pretty good.
I drove around, got off & walked slowly along the rims of the draws, made some fawn bleats, nothing, it was pretty quiet & I was running out of time. I headed down along a narrow road along the stream towards my truck & across the stream a very large doe started walking away from me in the tall grass/weeds. This stuff has a hard, thick stalk to it, similar to a bamboo stalk. I was sitting at an awkward angle & she was walking when I took the shot & it went high making a big splat in the mud behind her. That stopped her dead still & the next shot was one of the fastest drops I've ever made. When they go down that fast it has to be a head shot or a spine shot. I ranged her after the shot at 88 yds. I don't know if you would call it an offhand shot, an offhand turned shot or an offhand turned, twisting shot, probably all of the above. It was difficult because I was quite a bit past her.
Anyway, I knew I had a bit of a problem because there was a lot of deep water between me & her & it was almost dark, I had maybe 20 minutes to cross over & get her & that wasn't possible. I went back & got my truck & got my pack & looked for the best place to try & cross, everywhere looked deep & both banks looked very muddy. I left my pack, wallet, cellphone, & socks on the bank & slide my way out into the stream with my walking stick. I had my headlamp & my Croc's, nothing else. I was sinking into the mud really deep, I fell down a couple of times getting into the water but once I got in the bottom was hard but very slick.
Soon I was clear up to my neck going across, I never went completely under but I was sliding all over that stream trying to stand up, without the walking stick I couldn't have done it. When I got over there it was almost dark, I walked back down & found the deer & decided I had better cross in a different spot, it was just too muddy back where my pack was at.
As always I never gut one before crossing, that way they will float. I floated her across, again up to my neck & I had a terrible time climbing the muddy bank on the other side. I left the deer part way in the water to help her cool & walked up to he truck & rested for 30 minutes & drank some cold drinks. Then all hell broke loose, I started down in the dark to find my gear so I could call home & also get my other lights & knives but I couldn't find them & I sunk clear up tto my hips in the worst mud you could ever imagine. I had to lean on one side to keep from sinking deeper. I finally got loose & tried to find another way but in a few minutes I did the exact same thing only this time it was worse, I sank deeper. I was exhausted & I could lean over & touch the mud with my nose. I finally worked my left leg up out of the mud & my Croc was still on. I started working on my right leg & when I finally got it loose the Croc was gone! I laid out on my stomach & reached down in the hole to try & find the Croc but I couldn't reach it, I reached over & took the left one & threw it in the stream.
All my life I've had very tender feet, I can hardly stand to walk on grass, now I am bare foot & in some of the worst stuff you could imagine. there are sticks & cockle burrs everywhere & for the next 2 hours I'm walking around in the dark & rain trying to find my gear. My headlight is starting to go dim.
I need a break, I work my way slowly back up to the truck, sinking in mud but not as bad, I knew one more bad one & I would be there all night. When I got to the truck I really wasn't tired but my body sure was!
I drove 3-4 miles to a farm house & borrowed a phone so I could call my wife & let her know I was going to be a little bit late & not to worry. The lady loaned me a spot light & I went back & located my gear & then in a pouring rain found my deer, gutted it, drug it up to the road & here comes the farmer lady with one of her daughters, they had got worried about me & came to help. We threw the deer in my truck, I thanked them & got home at 1am.
Looking at the deer this morning with my bloody feet, I had hit the doe at the base of the neck, breaking it & killing her instantly, I did see all 4 legs buckle at the same time, it was impressive. First kill with this OM 41 shorty that had been worked over by Bobby Tyler, complete with that great 2dogs front sight & a 213 gr HP, what a combination.





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You sure as heck earned that one.

Funny how we remember the deer/elk, but can forget the hardship/difficulties of recovering them.

Congrats and great writeup as always.

That whole deal worked out pretty good considering it could have gone south all kinds of ways.
There is that old saying about the work starting once the shooting stops. I'd say you pretty well demonstrated that!
VERY good shooting though.
Bet you pay a bit more attention to what is between you and the game next time!

Holy block of text.

Break it up a bit for readability.

Put a line between the paragraphs.

Well I'm impressed. Sounds like it would have been tough to make it any tougher with out you drowning. But we wouldn't have gotten to hear the story, and it would have probably messed up that nice Bobby Tyler 41. Glad you made it out ok.

Quite the story Dick...

I'm just having a hard time believing that when you showed up naked and wet at the farm house they believed you really were a hunter....;-)

Bob

That was a very interesting story. Glad you were able to make it out with your deer and hope your feet are healing well. Nice also that you brought out your deer when some people would have left it there because of the harsh terrain.

L.W.

Looks like a good size doe, Dick.

Glad it didn't cost you any more than it did in effort and mud.

My feet are pretty swollen today, here's a photo of my right foot, not too bad after I showered & washed the blood off. My wife still isn't too happy!


Dick

Dang, what a story! Something got shot in the face, something else got shot in the neck, river crossings, quicksand/mud traps, nekkidness, a farmer wife and daughter and best of all a .41 magnum. Hard to beat that!

I'm surprised no one thought about it, but that would make a great country and western song. Just figure out a weigh to throw in a dog, and a train and you're there.

Dick...I hope that swelling is going down.... Have had problems with my feet in the past and it's not fun....

Bob

Congrats on the deer. Great story as usual.

Craig

Wow! I really enjoyed reading your story.
You worked for every single ounce of that venison. Nice shooting and enjoy every bite!

Thanks guys. Bob the swelling is going down, I'm over security for the church that's right across the street & I walk over there each night & go all through the building checking doors, windows, etc. That helps my feet & legs so I'm not as sore. Hopefully I don't fall into any mud on the way over! Plus we were just told we are the Grand Marshall's for this years Homecoming Football Game, got to be able to ride in the parade & then walk out onto the field!

Dick

Hunting and Crocs don't mix!

Great story.

Congrats.

Now THAT is a hunting story!!! Congratulations on getting it done, particularly through the adversity. A man's character doesn't show up when everything goes smoothly and easily. You seem like quite a man. Thanks for sharing. I'd have helped if I'd have been there.

Hawk1, Crocs come in real handy many times & I've crossed streams dozens of times when I didn't want to wear my huning boots in the water. I can either go bare footed & slip the Crocs on or wear the Crocs in the water & wade through, I wouldn't do that with my good, expensive boots. Lots of guys do the same thing.

What I didn't know about was the mud, that was one in a million, kind of like getting struck by lightning but I'd rather have had the Crocs on than my good boots, they would have been so heavy in that really deep mud I'd still be there today, trust me. I did put my hunting boots on later.

Dick

Just messing with you.

Like I said, I always enjoy your handgunning stories!